Cape Girardeau City Council establishes property tax rates

Cape Girardeau City Council members established property tax rates for the fiscal year ending Sunday, June 30, 2024, at their meeting Monday, Aug. 7.

Based on the ordinance unanimously approved Monday, the General Fund and Health Fund rates will decrease from $0.3057 and $0.0573 to $0.3042 and $0.0570 per $100 assessed valuation, respectively. However, the Downtown Special Business District rate will remain unchanged at $0.6789.

The established rates had to be slightly modified based on the Notice of 2023 Aggregate Assessed Valuation from the Cape Girardeau County clerk, which was received Friday, Aug, 4, and are different from what was published on the agenda, said Lisa Mills, finance director.

"In between the time we set the public hearing and the time City Council met, the assessor completed all of their assessed valuation and we were able to completely finish the process of publishing the exact tax levy amounts," she added.

A homeowner who owns a house worth $200,000 would pay $137.94 in real estate tax to the city. Residents would pay $12.10 for each $10,000 of personal property they own.

The budgeted real and personal property tax revenue are $2,318,625 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024.

In other action, council members appointed Meghan Tyson to the Historic Preservation Commission.

New ordinances

Council members also read several ordinances for the first time. Council members:

• annexed land at 2797 Benton Hill Road into the city limits with a zoning of R-1, single-family suburban residential district;
• extended the boundaries of Ward 6 to include property at 2797 Benton Hill Road into the city limits;
• zoned property at 97 N. Kingshighway as C-2, Highway Commercial District (There was also a public hearing held on this matter);
• accepted five permanent easements from The Mary Ann and Bert J. Kellerman Foundation, for property at 401 Independence St.

Consent agenda

Council members approved ordinances and a resolution through a consent agenda. The items on the consent agenda have been before council members and were approved as one lot. The council:

• authorized the city manager to execute an Agreement for Professional and Construction Services with Zoellner Construction Co. Inc. for 20 new hangars at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport;
• approved the record plat of Cape West 19th Subdivision;
• authorized the city manager to execute a license and indemnity agreement with Codefi Foundation on Rural Innovation Inc. for installation of "Free Public Wi-Fi" signs on city poles in the City of Cape Girardeau
• accepted improvements and authorized final payments for the Cape Splash Family Aquatic Center and Osage Centre painting project, 2022 Asphalt Overlay Program and Sprigg Street Improvements Project.

At the end of the meeting, two individuals from the audience discussed concerns regarding road rage and the critical situation of the homeless population in Cape Girardeau.